The Trip of a Fever
by Kekepikapika
Summary: Ash wakes up sick one morning, but hides it from Kukui so he can go on the class field trip. While at school Ash begins to feel worse, and just before they head off he faints. Kukui then decides to take Ash home and watch over him while Principal Oak substitutes in his place. The two find that they can make their own fun as spend time together. Reviews/comments only please


**Hey Readers!**

 **Here's another one-shot with father/son like fluff, no shipping!**

 **I DO NOT OWN POKEMON**

 **P.S.** Litten is female in this fanfic, because I don't think it's gender was stated in anime; and probably no RotomDex, 'cause his character and dialogue are difficult for me to capture... Probably due to the fact that I haven't been watching the english dub.

 **Enjoy~**

* * *

 **The Trip of a Fever**

Ash rolled over, kicking his blanket onto the floor. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked a few times, finding it difficult to adjust to the sunlight that shone in them. He spent a few seconds wondering why the couch he slept on felt so hot. It didn't make sense, Professor Kukui always kept it cool in the house. Ash then groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "...ugh." His entire body ached for reasons unknown to him.

"Ash, you awake?" Kukui called from the kitchen. "I was thinking I should head to the school early today. I need to make sure everything's ready for the field trip."

Ash sighed heavily as he got up and made his way to the kitchen. He barely made it down the ladder that led to the loft, feeling strange and off balance. Slowly, he walked to Kukui and rubbed his eyes. "You mean... to the aquarium?" He yawned. "... Is that today?"

Kukui laughed softly, "looks like someone's still tired."

"Yeah..." Ash sat down at the kitchen island as Kukui placed down a plate of eggs and toast.

"Well, I hope you aren't too tired to eat?" Ash stared down at the plate, seeming uninterested. The Professor was a little confused by his response, expecting much more than a simple glare. "What's the matter? You don't like it?"

Ash shook his head wearily, "no... It's not that." He looked up at him. "I'm just not hungry..."

"What? Really?" Kukui pushed the plate further towards him. "You should at least eat some of it."

"...no, thanks." Ash pushed it away, shaking his head again.

Kukui took a moment to study him. _Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary.._. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Mhm..." Ash mumbled.

He reached up to check his temperature. "Hmm, you're really warm, Ash." He frowned, removing his hand. "Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah, I feel fine." Ash lied, then gave him a convincing smile. He honestly felt very strange and his back was probably drenched with sweat. "I just got really hot last night, that's all." His smile softening, Ash watched as Pikachu walked in along with Litten and Rockruff. All yawning as they took a seat at their shared food dish.

Kukui was genuinely concerned, but sighed and left it at that. He knew he didn't have time to argue with the boy as he checked the time. "Well, if you say so..." He then went to gather the pokemon food and poured it for Pikachu, Litten, and Rockruff; to which, they were very grateful. The Professor washed his hands before putting on his hat and heading out. "I'll see you at school, Ash. Bye for now." He waved.

"Okay. Bye, Professor." Ash waved back, watching as he closed the door. He sighed heavily, poking at his breakfast. "Hmm,... Maybe I'll be hungry after I get dressed?" Ash stepped down from the bar stool, then went back up to the loft to find his clothes; returning to the seat a few moments later. "There." He picked up his fork and held it hesitantly before dropping it back on the countertop. "I'm still not hungry," he sighed. Ash rested his head in his hands. "Oh well..."

Pikachu leaped onto the barstool next to him. "Pika-pika?"

"Hey, buddy. Did you sleep well?" He asked his partner, looking up.

Pikachu flashed him a bright smile. "Pi-ka chu!"

"That's good to hear." Ash flashed him a smile as well. It was a little weak, but thankfully Pikachu didn't notice. "I'm going to go and get ready now." He stood. "It won't take long, okay?" Ash earned a rather cute 'Pika' before walking off.

About ten minutes passed before Ash returned to the kitchen. And, upon arrival, he noticed his pokemon playing tag. "Are you ready to go, Pikachu?" He asked, picking up his breakfast and placing it in the fridge.

Pikachu ran up to him, receiving a gentle pat on the head. "Pi-ka!" He chimed. He was ready whenever Ash was.

"Alright then." Ash put on his backpack, throwing in some berries for Rowlet in case he got hungry; then walked over to the front door. "Let's go." He held out his arm for Pikachu to climb onto his shoulder, then went out; after saying goodbye to Litten and Rockruff, of course. Ash decided they should stay home so he wouldn't have any trouble with them during the field trip.

On the way to the Pokemon School, Pikachu noticed that Ash had been walking a lot slower than normal. He always seemed so excited to get there, but now he just looked exhausted.

When they finally arrived, Ash took a few minutes to rest under the shade of the gate entrance. His vision would cloud every so often, causing him to close his eyes to ward off the dizziness that accompanied it.

Pikachu moved down to sit in front of him and nuzzled his hand. "Pika pi...?"

"I'm okay, Buddy." Ash stroked back Pikachu's ears. "I'm just a little tired, that's all. Let's go find the Professor, 'kay Pikachu?" Pikachu nodded and climbed back onto his shoulder. Ash then stood, and took a moment to steady himself before walking through. "Now, where's the meeting place?" He had been told they were going with four other classes and that everyone would meet outside. Ash made his way to the main lawn and decided to wait there, all the while trying not to burn up in what was the normally comfortable Alola heat.

Eventually, a large group of students came through the front doors and made their way towards Ash. He had been sitting with Pikachu and was unconsciously fiddling with blades of grass. Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Lillie were all following behind the group led by Professor Kukui. The Professor was relieved to find Ash outside since he began to panic a few moments earlier when he realized the boy wasn't in the classroom. Lillie was the first to stray away and approach Ash, saying hello.

"Huh?" Ash didn't notice her at first, but quickly waved and gave her a weak smile. "Oh- Hi, Lillie."

Lana knelt down beside him with Popplio. "You excited for the field trip, Ash?" She asked, leaning into his line of sight.

"Yeah, Ash." Mallow stepped in from behind. "It's going to be so fun~"

"Heh, yeah..." Ash tried hard not to sound tired. He felt awfully feverish, and this heat wasn't helping at all. Staying still helped with his dizziness, though. Ash desperately wanted nothing more than to lay in the grass, but he feared that lying down may raise some concerns.

"Hey, Ash?" Lillie crouched down to his level. "Are you alright? You're acting strange..."

"Uh... Heh. What do you mean?" Ash tried to mask the exhaustion in his voice with nervous laughter. "I feel fine."

"I'm not so sure..." Lillie said, thinking aloud.

Mallow sat close to Lillie. "Now that you mention it Ash does look kind of strange."

"Pika-pika?" Pikachu stared up at his partner confused.

"What are you talking about?" Sophocles stepped in. "Ash looks fine to me. Right, Kiawe?"

"Hmm..." Kiawe crouched down in front on Ash, then lean forward and stared straight into his face. Ash backed away slightly, as he was a little too close for his liking. "Ash has a fever." He said finally, moving into a sitting position.

"What? No, I don't." Ash scoffed.

Lana placed her hand on his forehead. "Yes, you do." Ash had been too slow and couldn't move away in time. "You should tell the Professor."

Lillie stood. "I can do it."

Ash began to panic a little. He had been looking forward to this field trip and wasn't going to let anyone ruin it for him. "No wait-"

"Alright everyone!" Principle Oak walked out in front of the large group of students. "Start lining up! The bus will be here shortly!" He called. Everyone began to move.

"Okay you guys." Professor Kukui said as he approached his class. "Let's go." They all stood and began to follow.

"Professor-Oh!" Lillie made an attempt to call Kukui, but Ash pulled her back.

"Please don't tell, Lillie." Ash pleaded. "I really want to go."

"Are you sure you can make it?" Lillie looked him over. "You look worse than before."

Ash didn't deny that, he _felt_ worse than before and all he did was stand up. Pikachu had been walking alongside them on the ground and looked up at him curiously. "I dunno, ...but I'll try."

"Fine." She sighed after a few seconds. "But, don't over do it, okay?"

"Yes!" Ash cheered. However, it probably looked pathetic in his current state. He was awfully weak now and took notice of a dull numb feeling in his legs. They were going to be standing in line for a while, but he needed to sit down soon.

A man had been taking role and collecting permission slips from teachers to allow students on the bus. The numb feeling began to spread upward through Ash's hands into his arms. _Uh oh!_ Ash thought he might pass out. He was just a few feet away from the bus doors, about four or five students down including Lillie. He had to make it, he just had to. He's been wanted to go on this trip since it had been announced. The line shifted about every two seconds and Ash began to count them in his head.

 _10..._ A name had been checked off as the line moved forward. Kukui took out his stack of permission slips to look them over.

 _9..._ Ash tried desperately to distract himself, frantically looking around.

 _8..._ Another name was checked, then the line moved forward.

 _7..._ It seemed that all the blood drained from his face and fingertips. Both places now tingled wildly with pins and needles.

 _6..._ Another name, the line moved forward.

 _5..._ Ash now felt lightheaded. His breathing gradually became heavier and heavier.

 _4..._ Another name. The line moved.

 _3..._ A sudden ringing intruded in on his thoughts as his vision began to fade to static. _No! I'm almost there!_ He panicked. The world seemed to sway.

 _2..._ Lillie's turn came next and Professor Kukui searched for her permission slip. Mallow called out something, causing a bit of an uproar in the remaining students and Kukui to drop his papers.

 _1..._ Ash's knees suddenly grew weak and buckled. Before he knew it, the world went black.

"Ash-!" Kukui rushed to catch him, sliding underneath him and falling to the ground.

"Pika pi!?" Pikachu tried to wake his trainer by attempting to shake him, but had no luck.

"Is he alright, Professor?" Mallow asked.

The Professor cradled the boy and placed a hand on his forehead. His blood ran cold as he felt the unnatural heat of Ash's high fever. "He's burning up...!"

"Oh no." Lillie and Lana gasped in unison.

"What do we do?" Sophocles asked, to which Kiawe shrugged in response.

"I told you he had a fever..."

"You guys should've told me." Kukui scolded them. "I knew there was something wrong this morning..."

"Sorry, Professor..." His class said in unison.

"Wait. Ash was sick earlier?" Lillie asked.

"Yes, but he told me he was fine." The Professor brushed back Ash's bangs. "I should've made him stay home..."

Pikachu nudged Ash lightly. "Pika pi?" He was very concerned. "Chu..."

"What's going on over here?" Principle Oak made his way through the crowd surrounding them, stepping out in front of Kukui. "What happened?"

"Principle Oak, I need to take Ash home." Professor Kukui stood, carefully lifting him from the ground. "He has a fever and doesn't look too good..." Kukui observed the boy's breathing as he held his limp figure. Ash breathed in short, heavy huffs and then deeply after every few seconds.

"Hmm, you should hurry." Principle Oak felt Ash's face with the back of his hand. "If that fever gets any higher, you could be in some real trouble. I can take care of things here."

"Thank you." Kukui gave an apologetic, but gracious bow before allowing Pikachu to climb onto his shoulder and rushing to get Ash home. _Hopefully he doesn't get any worse._

* * *

When Kukui finally arrived home, he immediately unlocked the front door, walked in, and set Ash down on the living room couch. Litten and Rockruff followed him, wondering what could have happened. Pikachu jumped down from the Professor's shoulder and filled them in on the current situation while Kukui tended to Ash. He briefly left the room only to return with a blanket and a damp cloth to lay on his forehead. "This should cool him down a bit..." He said to himself, then gently threw the blanket over him and removed his hat to apply the damp cloth. _Maybe I have a fever reducer?_ Then began to look for one.

Litten rubbed against the Professor's legs, nearly tripping him. "Mrrrow?"

"Huh?" Kukui regained his balance and steadied himself before speaking. "What's the matter, Litten? I'm kind of busy right now." He continued searching through a nearby cabinet. "I have to find something for Ash's fever."

"Nyow-nyow...?" Litten sat at his feet, lightly swishing her tail. She didn't didn't fully understand what he meant. Was that bad?

Rockruff wandered over to where Ash lay and sniffed his hand, which had slipped off the couch. He bit it gently and carefully placed it back on the cushion. Pikachu climbed up, then took his trainer's hand and laid it across his chest. It wouldn't fall if it were there. They watched Ash shift a little, looking as if he were having a bad dream. He wore a pained expression that remained up until Pikachu decided to lie there with him, comforting the boy.

Professor Kukui returned with water and a mortar and pestle, Litten following close behind. He couldn't find the right medicine and eventually decided to mix his own, considering himself lucky for remembering how to do it. He sat on the coffee table, which conveniently allowed him to be straight across from Ash. Kukui lightly shook his arm. "Ash? Ash, I need you to wake up." Ash stirred, but his eyes remained closed. The Professor sighed heavily, before sitting him up.

"Chu?" Pikachu, watching him closely, was unsure of what exactly was going on. He wanted Ash to wake up. Pikachu then stood and began to charge up a thunderbolt. "PI~KA-!"

"Wait-!" The Professor gasped, quickly removing Pikachu from Ash's chest. He held Pikachu in one arm while he held Ash up with the other.

Pikachu's electricity died down. "Pika?"

"You might hurt Ash, Pikachu, or make things worse if you wake him up like that."

"Chu..." Pikachu saddened a bit, but understood it wouldn't help.

"Ash will wake up when his body allows him to, but he'll probably be like this for a while..." Kukui put Pikachu down and fed Ash the medicine from the mortar. Soon after, he held the cup of water up to Ash's lips for him to drink. Ash didn't seem to like it very much, but accepted it. Now they had to wait for it to take effect.

"Arr?" Rockruff wondered why Ash hadn't woken up.

"Hm?" Kukui looked down at him.

"Arf-arf!" Rockruff propped himself up against the couch and poked Ash's arm with his nose, then looked back at Kukui and whined.

"He'll be alright, Rockruff. The medicine doesn't work that quickly." Rockruff whined again, resting his chin on the couch. Kukui picked him up and held him at eye level. "How about we watch some TV to pass the time? Would you guys like that?"

Litten, Pikachu, and Rockruff all agreed since they didn't have much else to do. They couldn't just sit and stare at Ash the whole time. No one knew how long he'd stay asleep. Professor Kukui grabbed the remote and moved to the opposite couch, setting Rockruff down on his lap. Litten lay on the adjacent cushion, resting against his thigh; and, Pikachu lay across the sofa back behind Kukui. When everyone was settled, he switched on the television and channel surfed for about 5 minutes. Nothing interesting was on, as it was still early in the day.

When the Professor finally settled on the news he dozed off after watching for only 15 minutes. All the pokemon had done the same not too long after him. Nothing particularly interesting had happened in Alola lately. Kukui didn't necessarily think this was a bad thing, but it wasn't exciting; so there was little to catch his attention and keep him interested.

* * *

Ash woke suddenly. He was once dreaming and enjoyed it before things began to take a wild turn. Ash looked around, taking note he was back at Kukui's house. "Huh? ...how'd I get here?" He thought back to when he arrived at school and everything that happened, eventually leading up to where he was now. "Oh, yeah." Ash saddened a bit as he moved into a sitting position. "The field trip... And, I didn't get to go!" He said, quietly expressing his frustration.

Professor Kukui woke soon after hearing this, completely dazed. He straightened himself, keeping still enough not to wake the pokemon around him. He didn't have the heart to. _Guess I'm not going anywhere..._ Kukui quietly stroked Litten's fur. Neither him nor Ash seemed to notice each other until Ash sniffled and broke the silence in between.

"Ash?" Kukui gasped. Ash turned upon hearing his name, tear tracks lining his cheeks. _Oh jeez._ The professor carefully removed Litten and Rockruff before rushing over to him. "Ash, are you hurt-are you in pain anywhere?" Kukui spoke urgently with concern. "What's the matter?"

Ash shook his head. "Nothing... I'm alright."

"Good." He sighed, relieved. Professor Kukui's expression then became firm. "What on earth were you thinking scaring me like that? You should have told me you weren't feeling well, Ash."

Ash was unable to face him, hiding the tears that fell down his reddened face. The Professor seemed scary when he was being serious. "I-I..." He sniffled. "I-I-I'm suh-sorry, Professor. I-I- I just-" Ash began to sob uncontrollably. "I just-"

 _Nice going Kukui, now he's crying!_ Kukui mentally scolded himself, immediately feeling awful. "H-hey, it's okay." He took a seat next to Ash and pulled him close. Ash buried into Kukui's lab coat and clung to it. "Shh," He soothed, gently rocking him back and forth. _I guess the fever has made him sensitive? Ash usually never cries when scolded._ Professor Kukui sighed. He then looked down at Ash, who soaked part of his lab coat completely. _Did I really upset him that badly...?_

Kukui waited patiently for Ash to calm down before speaking, awkwardly looking around. "Look, Ash. I'm sorry if I scared you, but please, think about how I felt when I saw you fall to the ground." The scene played in his mind. "I didn't know what to think."

Ash remained silent. He listened to every word, thinking about how Kukui sounded just like his mother. It made him feel guilty somehow.

"I really do care about you Ash. And, it bothers me that you didn't tell me how you felt. Please, next time, let me know if there's something wrong." Ash gave him a small nod in response. "What you did today wasn't very smart, but I can't punish you. I believe being sick is punishment enough, don't you think?" Ash nodded again, turning to rest his cheek against Kukui's side. "Now then, all I ask is why? Why'd you go through all that trouble?"

"... I just wanted to go on the field trip." Ash replied. "I really wanted to see what kind of pokemon they'd have at the aquarium..."

"Well, do you think things would have been different if you made it there?"

Ash sighed in defeat, shaking his head. "Probably not."

"Yeah, I don't think so either." Professor Kukui laughed. "But, you know Ash, the aquarium isn't far. We can go some other time if you like?"

His face lit up. "Wow, really, Professor!?"

"Sure, we can go as soon as you're feeling up to it."

"Then let's go right now-" Ash readied himself to stand, but Kukui held him back.

"Whoa, there. Where do you think you're going?" The Professor felt Ash's forehead. "You still have a fever, Ash."

"But, you said we could go when I felt up to it." Ash whined. "And, I feel fine! Really!"

"Regardless of how you feel, your body still needs rest." The Professor sighed, "you can't go anywhere like this. You may be contagious."

"Alright..." He mumbled. "Hold on a sec... What about you Professor? What if you get sick too?"

"I appreciate your concern, but I think I'll be alright, Ash." Kukui ruffled his hair. "My immune system's pretty strong. Anyway, if I were worried about that, who would take care of you?"

"I guess you're right." Ash agreed. "You are the only adult here." His eyes then fell upon the mortar that lay on the coffee table. "Hey-" Ash leaned forward to get a better look. "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" Professor Kukui picked up the item and held it in his hands, to which Ash nodded. "It's called a mortar. And, this is a pestle." He held up said thing. "I used these to mix the medicine for your fever."

"Woah, you made it yourself?"

"Well, I may only study Pokemon moves, but I believe every Pokemon Professor should learn how to take care of pokemon, and people as well."

"Wow, Professor. That's pretty cool!" Ash held out his hands to accept the mortar and looked it over. "Can you teach me someday?"

"Huh- To mix medicine?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Mhm! Pleeeeease?"

"Of course I can." Kukui smiled. "I'd be happy to."

"Yay!" Ash jumped up with excitement, but soon fell back onto the couch exhausted. He groaned weakly, frustrated by how heavy his body felt. "What happened?" He looked down at his hands through low, half-open eyelids, which hid his darkened brown pools. "I had a bunch of energy a few minutes ago..."

"Well, Ash. You're sick, remember? Come to think of it, you're not looking too good." Kukui stood and helped Ash get back into his previous lying position. "As I said earlier, your body needs rest." He briefly felt Ash's forehead, "And, your fever hasn't gone down yet." Kukui pulled the blanket over him, then returned to his seat on the coffee table. "Trust me, jumping around isn't the best thing to do right now."

"Alright." Ash huffed before pouting and folding his arms. "What can I do then?"

"Well, you could sleep?" The Professor quickly earned a negative response to that suggestion. Ash didn't want to sleep, he just woke up. "Okay, then maybe you could watch some TV? There's probably some cartoons on."

Ash didn't want to do that either. Watching TV became more and more boring as he traveled, so he normally only tuned into programs that involved him or his friends.

"Hmm, I guess we could play a game then?" Kukui looked around. "I'm sure I have a Chess set around here somewhere."

"That sounds fun, but I don't know how to play Chess, Professor."

"That's funny, me neither." Kukui laughed. He then stood to retrieve the board, leaving Ash to wonder what they were going to do. How could they play if neither of them knew how?

The Professor grabbed a chair on the way back, taking a seat across from Ash before placing the Chess set on the coffee table. It was made of glass; some pieces plain, while others were frosted.

Ash marveled at the sight, "Wow, Professor Kukui. They look like ice!" He especially loved the Rapidash piece. "Cool, a Rapidash! This one's the best!"

"Aren't they?" Kukui took one from the board. "Although, I think these are called Knights in this game."

"Huh, really?" Ash tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"

Kukui shrugged, then passed the Rapidash to him. "Well, I'm not sure. However, I believe the game simulates war."

"War...?" Ash looked over the pieces. "Hmm... I don't get it."

"Um, well, I know that different plays create different outcomes. And, that there are several ways to win." The Professor lifted a pawn, which happened to be a Metapod. "And, that's just about all I know. Sorry, Ash."

Ash look from the Metapod to the Frosted Rapidash he held in his hand. "Hey, we could probably do something else with these, though."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well," he began. "If we can't play this game, how about we make our own?"

"Alright, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, you see, if this game is like war then the pokemon probably fight each other." Ash explained as he gestured towards the chess pieces. "-And, if the pokemon are fighting, it's like a battle."

The Professor nodded in understanding. "So, what you're saying is, we should have the pieces battle each other in our game. Correct?"

"Exactly!"

"Okay, then. You start."

With that the two eventually came up the perfect game, playing for hours and adding in game mechanics as they went. Ash and Kukui had so much fun they wound up playing the whole day away.

Just as he was making in final move, Kukui noticed Ash had been nodding off. Carefully, he placed down the piece he held, then stood.

Ash woke with a jolt, "Huh...?" He allowed the Professor to take his chess piece. "I-Is the game over?" Ash yawned, rubbing his eyes. "...Did I win?"

"Not quite, Ash." Kukui laughed, gently urging the boy into a lying position. "We'll call it a draw, okay?"

Ash nodded sleepily. "Okay... Can we play again?" He asked, his eyelids growing heavy.

"Yes, We'll play more tomorrow." Professor Kukui agreed as he pulled the blanket over Ash. "Right now, you need to rest."

"...but-" Ash began.

"Shh..." Kukui soothed. He gently ran his fingers through Ash's hair, lulling him into a deep slumber. He briefly watched as Ash slept peacefully. Once he was certain Ash was settled, Professor Kukui soon found that he himself grew tired as well.

The Professor sighed heavily, placing his hands on hips. "Welp, what now Kukui?" He asked himself as he turned to face the living room window. "It's not dark out yet." The sun sat half-dipped into horizon. "Hmm, I guess I could go to bed early-" Just then Ash rolled over, seeming quite distressed. Kukui went over gently ruffled Ash's hair again.

Ash then relaxed, appearing peaceful once again. "Mom...?" He muttered in his sleepy state.

"Hm?" Kukui removed his hand, blushing faintly. "He thinks I'm Delia...?" _Wait a minute-_ "Delia!" The Professor gasped. "I've gotta call her!" Reluctantly, he rushed to the phone. _Man, am I in for an ear-full..._

 **The End**

 **Poor Kukui! He's gonna get his ears chewed out by Ash's Mom.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this. I began writing this one a while ago! Please review, and let me know if you want more stories like this.**


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